South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale)
October 17, 2007 Wednesday
Armenian patriarch visits Hollywood church: At Hollywood church,
Karekin II urges parishioners to keep the faith
by Kathleen Kernicky, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Oct. 17–For Arice and Lilia Gharakhanian, the chance to meet their
pontiff, the spiritual leader of 7 million Armenian Christians,
doesn’t happen every day.
So the Tamarac couple and their two children, all dressed in Sunday
attire, drove to St. Mary Armenian Church in Hollywood on Tuesday,
where His Holiness Karekin II presided over prayers and the blessing
of three hand-carved stone crosses brought from Armenia.
"The Armenian community, especially in the U.S., revolves around the
church," said Arice Gharakhanian, 31, who held onto his daughters,
Sedi, 3, and Mila, 7 months. "That’s what brings us all together.
Karekin II is a symbol of our faith and our church."
Karekin II, patriarch of the Armenian Apostolic Church, concluded his
first visit to South Florida with a message to hold onto the faith,
pray for peace and "keep this church vibrant with your presence and
your prayers."
Speaking in Armenian, the 56-year-old bearded pontiff told about 200
parishioners, "The progress and advanced development we see in our
homeland fills us with hope that Armenia will prosper."
Sprinkling incense and reciting prayers, he blessed three ornamental
stone crosses, or khatchkars, carved in Armenia and delivered here
earlier this year.
"We planned about a year ago to bring these stones here as pieces
from Armenia, pieces that would give some kind of Armenian taste to
the church from the inside," said the Rev. Vartan Joulfayan, pastor
of the 500-family parish.
Wearing a gold-and-crimson robe over his black vestment and carrying
a silver staff, Karekin II warmly greeted parishioners in an opening
procession, stopping to bless men, women and children.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most of the
parishioners," said Arbo Zakaryan, who also attended services for the
pontiff held in Boca Raton on Monday. The pontiff visited South
Florida as part of a 17-city U.S. tour.
For Armenians in the United States, the importance of a pontifical
visit cannot be underestimated, said Misak Sargsian, of Miami. He
left Armenia in 1993 and is now a physics professor at Florida
International University.
"The institution of the pontiff has existed for 1,700 years,"
Sargsian said. "It’s one thing Armenians connect to. What’s unified
Armenians all over the world is religion. With the Diaspora, the most
important thing for Armenians is keeping their identity, especially
for new generations."
Maria Esmerian, 47, wept as Karekin II blessed parishioners on his
way out of the church. Esmerian and her husband, Jack, 58, who are
both from Lebanon, drove from their home in Coral Gables to see the
pontiff.
"It’s very emotional for me," Maria Esmerian said afterward.
There are about 15,000 Armenians living in South Florida and more
than 1 million in the United States. As spiritual leader of the
world’s Armenian Christians, Karekin II is often compared to Pope
Benedict XVI of the Roman Catholic Church.
Karekin II, who has served as pontiff since 1999, lives in the holy
city of Etchmiadzin, near the Armenian capital of Yerevan.